An automation is the representation of a customer journey. Each automation consists of a series of sequential steps of different types (waiting, action, control….) that have diverse characteristics.
- As a result of a plan;
- As a trigger of an action performed by the contact and which feeds the profile.
Yes, you can add contacts to any automation that is active. Different schedules, even recurring ones, can insert contacts in the same automation.
The marketing automation feature manages the unsubscribe action through a link, which can be configured in Send and associated with a defined email group. The unsubscribe link must be inserted in each HTML used in the various Action steps.
Yes. In the case of real-time source automations, it is possible to use placeholders in the HTML to customize the content of the email using information associated with the contact, both demo details and the event triggering the automation itself.
If, instead, contacts are entered through a plan, only the demo data can be defined as placeholders at the time of the configuration.
Yes, you can upload and use externally created HTML.
It’s possible to modify an automation, adding or removing actions, only if it is in a draft status.
It’s possible to modify steps and content if it is in a draft status or paused.
Yes, automations can be created and saved as a Draft, to enable changes. It is also possible to schedule when an automation should start. It can be activated:
- immediately;
- Aafter a defined period by setting a specific start and end date;
- Configured with a start date but no end date.
The conditions that can be checked are related to email feedback (e.g. open, click, etc.) and any type of event traced on the contact profile (e.g. abandoned cart, form filling, etc.).
The step check category includes two different types:
- Check a trigger;
- Wait and check .
In the first case the contact is moved to the next step following the branch of the condition indicated as soon as it occurs. Or it is moved to the default branch if after a certain period of time defined the condition has not yet been recorded.
In the second type, on the other hand, the automation waits for a configurable period of time and when it expires the contacts follow the branches as described in the previous case.
It is not possible to indicate two different conditions within the same step check but it is possible to create two or more consecutive step checks with different conditions that are performed in cascade.
Yes. Archived automations can be cloned then reactivated by using the copy. The original one will be kept in the archive to have coherent documentation and reports. Error automations can be directly reopened and reactivated.
The customer journey behaves in a similar way to the one applied to transactional emails. It is not possible to define DND policies or prioritize the deliveries. It is possible to configure the customer journey so that a contact is not present several times simultaneously. In case the flow is triggered by a plan, it is possible to configure DND Policies during its creation.
No. Once an automation has been deleted, the action cannot be reversed.
It is possible to delete automations that are draft or archived. Active automations, once finished or paused, can be archived (and subsequently deleted) so that they stop managing contacts anymore.
No. If you delete an action, you delete all the following steps.
Yes, it is possible to clone the automation in active, draft, archived status.
Yes, in the initial configuration phase it is possible to select the exclusion list control. We suggest this type of options only for transactional emails in order to preserve the sender’s reputation.
Yes, you can configure an event as a contact exclusion trigger.
- Real-time Source step
- Action step
- Check step
- Delay step
- Split step
- End step
For more info, pls see the guide.